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Dr. Tia Jolie Phillips is an LGBT advocate, entrepreneur, musician and skilled aviator. She also has a Ph.D. in Holistic Natural Health & Nutrition. Dr. Phillips founded Jupiter Pride+ in 2016 following a series of teen suicides in the area.

One of the victims was apparently bullied for being LGBT. “I especially advocate for the marginalized, the underprivileged and the underdogs,” Phillips said. “I chose the term Pride+ to acknowledge all non-LGBT advocates who similarly advocate for equal rights. They are the plus part of Pride.”

The Jupiter Pride+ standard of “being kind to others always and leaving places better than we found them” resonates with Jupiter-area residents. The group is also drawing interest from as far north as Port St. Lucie and as far south as Boynton Beach.

“We had more than 60 people attend our first-ever LGBT mixer in January,” Phillips said. “We already have people waiting for our online ticket portal to open for our Pride Month ‘Loving You for You’ concert in Palm Beach Gardens on March 31.”

Phillips, a former military pilot said she “worked to protect American freedoms, including the rights to speak and express; to pursue happiness, including one’s choice of life partners.” Though she’s no longer a military officer, she remains compelled to lead rebellion against individual oppression of all sorts.